Apparatus for making compressed agricultural fiber structural board

Abstract

A mill is described for compacting agricultural fibrous matter, such as straw or other agricultural waste, into a structural board. The board is useful as a dominant part of a load bearing and insulating panel replacing many of the load bearing and insulating structures typically used to make small buildings, such as houses. The mill includes many features not found in previous mills of this type, including not only a packer to place material in front of an oscillating ram head as is known, but a precompactor arrangement to regulate the volume of material fed to the packer. Another feature incorporated into the mill to aid in achieving a consistent density is a pressure offset mechanism which adjusts the rate of core formation. The mill has a modular design to facilitate replacement of those components subjected to significant wear.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. In apparatus for making compressed fiber structural board by compacting agricultural fibrous matter, which apparatus includes an oscillating ram for forcing fibrous matter through extrusion structure to form a compacted core of fibrous matter for said board, said ram including a modular ram head to engage said fibrous matter, said ram head having an upper surface, opposed sides and a front, the combination comprising: an interior base module which defines the general configuration of said ram head;   an upper exterior wear plate providing said ram head upper surface and covering said base module;   one or more height spacers sandwiched between said upper wear plate and said base module;   a pair of side blocks respectively secured to opposed sides of said ram head, which side blocks are replaceable to accommodate a selected height and width for said ram head; and   a replaceable front wear plate secured to the front of said base module for engaging fibrous matter and compacting the same for the formation of said compacted core.   
     
     
       2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said ram head further includes one or more projections for providing a void in the fibrous matter which is compacted to form said core, to thereby form a core hole lengthwise through said core. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said replaceable front wear plate has upper and lower edges and further including an edge insert for the upper edge of said front wear plate. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 3 wherein said edge insert is configured to cooperate with a knife blade during installation of said ram to shear fibrous matter to be compacted for the formation of said core. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim 3 further including an edge insert for the lower edge of the front wear plate. 
     
     
       6. In apparatus for making compressed fiber structural board by compacting agricultural fibrous matter, the combination comprising: (A) an oscillating ram for forcing fibrous matter through extrusion structure to form a compacted core of fibrous matter for said board;   (B) a packer positioned to receive fibrous matter and configured to deliver fibrous matter to the front of said ram to be engaged thereby; and   (C) precompacting apparatus configured and positioned to receive fibrous material and provide a preselected volume of the same to said packer.   
     
     
       7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said precompacting apparatus includes a mechanism enabling adjustment of the size of said volume. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein said ram includes a modular ram head to engage said fibrous matter, said ram head having an upper surface, opposed sides, a front, and comprising: an interior base module which defines the general configuration of said ram head;   an upper exterior wear plate providing said ram head upper surface and covering said base module;   one or more height spacers sandwiched between said upper wear plate and said base module;   a pair of side blocks respectively secured to opposed sides of said ram head, which side blocks are replaceable to accommodate a selected height and width for said ram head; and   a replaceable front wear plate secured to the front of said base module for engaging fibrous matter and compacting the same for the formation of said compacted core.   
     
     
       9. The apparatus of claim 6 further including a suspension arrangement for a ram head of said ram which engages fibrous material for said compacting, comprising: a support for said ram head rigidly securable thereto and mounted for reciprocal movement;   a pair of guide rails under said support respectively adjacent opposed sides thereof defining the path of movement of said support and, hence, of said ram head;   spaced bearings having first riding surfaces engaging respective ones of said guide rails;   side rails respectively on opposed sides of said support for movement therewith along said path; and   a plurality of bearing structures engaging said side rails, said structures being configured to engage said side rails during said reciprocable movement and resist movement of said support away from said path, each of said bearing structures including means facilitating adjustment of the same sideways relative to said support and side rail.   
     
     
       10. The apparatus of claim 1 further including: (A) mechanism for forming a generally uniformly dense mat of fibrous matter from which said structural board is to be made; and   (B) a moisture applicator positioned and configured to apply moisture to said mat prior to the formation of said board from fibrous matter of said mat.   
     
     
       11. In apparatus for making compressed fiber structural board by compacting agricultural fibrous matter, which apparatus includes an oscillating ram for forcing fibrous matter through extrusion structure to form a compacted core of said fibrous matter for said board, a suspension arrangement for a ram head of said ram which engages fibrous matter for said compacting comprising: a support for said ram head rigidly securable thereto and mounted for reciprocal movement;   a pair of guide rails under said support respectively adjacent opposed sides thereof defining the path of movement of said support and, hence, of said ram head;   spaced bearings having first riding surfaces engaging respective ones of said guide rails;   side rails respectively on opposed sides of said support for movement therewith along said path; and   a plurality of bearing structures engaging said side rails, said structures being configured to engage said side rails during said reciprocable movement and resist movement of said support away from said path, each of said bearing structures including means facilitating adjustment of the same sideways relative to said support and side rail.   
     
     
       12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein each of said guide rails has a pair of second riding surfaces which are not in engagement with said spaced bearings, which second riding surfaces are mounted to be brought into engagement with said bearings in place of said first riding surfaces. 
     
     
       13. In apparatus for making compressed fiber structural board by compacting agricultural fibrous matter, the combination comprising: (A) mechanism for forming a generally uniformly dense mat of fibrous matter from which said structural board is to be made; and   (B) a moisture applicator positioned and configured to apply moisture to said mat prior to the formation of said board from fibrous matter of said mat.   
     
     
       14. The apparatus of claim 13 further including an oscillating ram for forcing fibrous material through extrusion structure to form a compacted core of fibrous matter for said board, said ram including a modular ram head to engage said fibrous matter, said ram head having an upper surface, opposed sides, and a front, and comprising: an interior base module which defines the general configuration of said ram head;   an upper exterior wear plate providing said ram head upper surface and covering said base module;   one or more height spacers sandwiched between said upper wear plate and said base module;   a pair of side blocks respectively secured to opposed sides of said ram head, which side blocks are replaceable to accommodate a selected height and width for said ram head; and   a replaceable front wear plate secured to the front of said base module for engaging fibrous matter and compacting the same for the formation of said compacted core.   
     
     
       15. The apparatus of claim 11 further including: (A) an oscillating ram for forcing fibrous matter through extrusion structure to form a compacted core of fibrous matter for said board;   (B) a packer positioned to receive fibrous matter and configured to deliver fibrous matter to the front of said ram to be engaged thereby; and   (C) precompacting apparatus configured and positioned to receive fibrous material and provide a preselected volume of the same to said packer.   
     
     
       16. In apparatus for making compressed fiber structural board by compacting industrial fibrous matter, which apparatus includes an oscillating ram having a reciprocating ram head which moves toward and away from a compacted core for said board and in its toward movement forces fibrous material through extrusion structure to be part of said compacted core, and a gill arrangement in the path of movement of fibrous matter by said ram head to inhibit fibrous matter from following said ram head when said ram head moves in a direction away from said compacted core, said gill arrangement being in mounting structure and comprising a plurality of elongated gill rods for engagement with said fibrous matter to prevent movement of the same in said direction away from said compacted core, which gill rods are positioned in a base plate therefor which is easily separable from said mounting structure to facilitate replacement or otherwise changing of said rods. 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said gill base plate is held in position in said apparatus within a slot in said mounting structure and within which it is slidable for removal. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein said oscillating ram includes a modular ram head to engage said fibrous matter, said ram head having an upper surface, opposed sides, and a front, and comprising: an interior base module which defines the general configuration of said ram head;   an upper exterior wear plate providing said ram head upper surface and covering said base module;   one or more height spacers sandwiched between said upper wear plate and said base module;   a pair of side blocks respectively secured to opposed sides of said ram head, which side blocks are replaceable to accommodate a selected height and width for said ram head; and   a replaceable front wear plate secured to the front of said base module for engaging fibrous matter and compacting the same for the formation of said compacted core.   
     
     
       19. In apparatus for making compressed fiber structural board by compacting agricultural fibrous matter, which apparatus includes an oscillating ram for forcing fibrous matter through an extrusion structure to form a compact core of fibrous matter for said board, the combination comprising: one or more heating tables as part of said extrusion structure, for applying heat to said fibrous matter; and   a controller for applying different rates of energy to be turned into heat in different zones provided by said tables.   
     
     
       20. In apparatus for making compressed fiber structural board by compacting agricultural fibrous matter, the combination comprising: (A) an oscillating ram head for forcing fibrous matter through an extrusion chamber to form a compacted core of fibrous matter for said board; and   (B) an extrusion pressure offset configured to contact said core as it is being formed to reduce variations in the density of fibrous matter in the core as it is formed.   
     
     
       21. The apparatus of claim 20 further including a gill arrangement in the path of movement of fibrous matter by said ram head to inhibit fibrous matter from following said ram head when said ram head moves in a direction away from said compacted core, said gill arrangement being in mounting structure and comprising a plurality of elongated gill rods for engagement with said fibrous matter to prevent movement of the same in said direction away from said compacted core, which gill rods are positioned in a base plate therefor which is easily separable from said mounting structure to facilitate replacement or otherwise changing of said rods. 
     
     
       22. The apparatus of claim 20 wherein said extrusion pressure offset is configured to apply a tensile force to said core. 
     
     
       23. The apparatus of claim 21 further including as part of said combination a controller which responds to measurement of the extrusion force applied by said ram to said fibrous matter by changing the pressure offset provided by said extrusion pressure offset to be complementary to that provided by said ram head. 
     
     
       24. In apparatus for making compressed fiber structural board by forming an elongated compact core of agricultural fibrous matter, a saw arrangement for cutting said core into appropriate lengths selected for said board comprising the combination of: A. a primary carriage arrangement having clamps to engage the core so that said primary carriage moves with said core; and   B. a secondary carriage mounted on said primary carriage for movement therewith with said core, which secondary carriage includes one or more saws for engaging said core to cut the same and is movable relative to said primary carriage to locate said saw in a precise cutting position.